3 Key Advertising Takeaways From the IBM Think Conference

The 2019 IBM Think Conference in San Francisco offered several glimpses at how the venerable technology company and its partners envision the future of advertising. With blockchain, artificial intelligence and more, IBM expects a more efficient market as it becomes easier to track the flow of ad dollars from brands to consumers and as consumers become easier to track across multiple devices and online identities. All of which is sprinkled with what CEO Ginni Rometty called “random acts of digital and AI.”

Here are three key takeaways from the conference:

Blockchain-enabled advertising network moves forward

In January, IBM and Mediaocean rolled out an initiative for brands, agencies and publishers to better track their campaigns, expanding on a pilot program last summer. Although results won’t be announced until the Cannes Lions festival in June, there was a lot of optimism at the conference.

“With the blockchain, potentially, you’ll have a dashboard for every marketer to see every part [of their campaign spending],” said Babs Rangaiah, executive partner, global marketing, IBM iX.